Alpashi fest begins on Tuesday

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The capital will celebrate the annual ‘Alpashi’ festival of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple from Tuesday. The festivities will begin with the  ritualistic flag-hoisting by temple Thantri Tharananallor Parameswaran Namboodiripad in the presence of Periyanambi Maruthampad Narayanan Padmanabhan.Devotees can watch the ‘ponnin sheeveli’, a colourful procession taken  out around the ‘nalambalam’ around 8 pm. In this ritual, the festival idol  of Lord Sree Padmanabha Swamy will be taken out on a ‘swarna simhasanam’ (golden  throne). There will be a special ‘deeparadhana’ on the East Nada by the Periyanambi. The procession will also have the idols of Lord Narasimha and Lord Sreekrishna taken out on silver thrones.The Panchagavyathu Nambi will perform a ‘deeparadhana’ at the West Nada. The procession will circumambulate the ‘nalambalam’ four times.On the second day on Wednesday, the festival idol of Lord Sree Padmanabha Swamy will be taken out on a golden ‘Anantha Vahanam’ (in the shape of Serpent King Anantha). The idols of Lord Narasimha and Lord Sree Krishna will be taken out on ‘Anantha vahanams’ in silver. On this day onwards, there will be two ‘sheevelis’ at 4 pm and 8 pm.On the third day on Thursday, the idol of Lord Sree Padmanabha Swamy will be taken out on a golden ‘Kamala Vahanam’ (in the shape of ottakalmandapam). Idols of Lord Narasimha and Lord Sree Krishna will be taken out on ‘kamala vahanams’ in silver.Pallakku vahanam, Garuda Vahanam, Indra Vahanam (in the shape of a gopuram), pallakku vahanam and Garuda vahanam will be used in the procession on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday respectively.On Tuesday next week, there will be a special ritual called ‘valiya kanikka’ in which the Pushpanjali Swamy and members of the royal family offer ‘kanikka’ to the Lord.The ‘pallivetta’ will be held on the next day in the presence of Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma. A procession will be taken out to the ‘vettakkalam’ (hunting place) prepared in front of the nearby Krishna Vilasom Palace. The rituals will begin with ‘balithooval’ by the temple thantri. The procession to the ‘vettakkalam’ will be a silent affair and in return it will have ‘panchavadyam’ and other traditional temple orchestras.On Thursday next week, the concluding day, the ‘arattu’ will be held.  The ceremonial procession to the Shangumugham beach will be a colourful event. Caparisoned elephants, mounted police and members of the armed police will add pomp and colour to the festivities. Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma will escort the procession, a traditional practice that has continued from the time of royal rule.